A federal judge has ruled that the Biden administration followed the law when it denied an extension of Georgia's year-old Medicaid plan, the only one in the country that requires recipients of public benefits to work.
From
SUDHIN THANAWALA Associated Press
July 16, 2024, 11:15 a.m. ET
3 minutes reading time
ATLANTA – A federal judge has ruled that the Biden administration followed the law when it denied an extension of Georgia's year-old Medicaid plan, the only one in the country that requires recipients of the publicly funded health insurance for low-income people to work.
Because the state failed to comply with federal rules for an extension, the Biden administration legally rejected its request to extend the expiration date of the Georgia Pathways to Coverage program from September 2025 to 2028, U.S. Judge Lisa Godbey Wood ruled Monday.
The office of Republican Governor Brian Kemp said it would work with the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services to “continue to gain the time needed to demonstrate the viability of the program.”
“We remain committed to this innovative initiative specific to Georgia that will not only provide health insurance, but also better opportunities and insurance options for those who enroll in the program,” spokesman Garrison Douglas said in a statement.
Georgia Pathways requires all recipients to prove they have worked, volunteered, received education or vocational training for at least 80 hours each month. It also limits coverage to able-bodied adults who earn no more than the federal poverty level, which is $15,060 for an individual and $31,200 for a family of four.
The Biden administration repealed the work requirement in 2021, but Wood later reinstated it in response to a lawsuit filed by the state. Georgia sued the administration again in February, arguing that the decision to repeal the work requirement and another aspect of Pathways delayed implementation of the program, shortening the program's originally approved lifespan of five years to just over two years.
The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services twice denied Pathways' extension request because the state had not met the requirements for an extension request, including public notice and a comment period. Georgia argued that it was seeking to modify the program, so those requirements should not apply.
In her latest ruling, Wood said the state did indeed file a request for an extension. She agreed that the Biden administration's decision to repeal parts of Pathways delayed its implementation, but said a “past failure” does not allow the state to “now circumvent the rules and regulations governing extensions.”
“If Georgia wishes to extend the program beyond the September 30, 2025 deadline, it must comply with the rules for obtaining an extension,” she wrote.
Pathways got off to a rocky start. Georgia officials had expected the system to provide health insurance to 25,000 low-income residents by now, or perhaps tens of thousands more. But last month, enrollment was just over 4,300.
Critics say the workload is too burdensome. Supporters say Pathways needs more time.
